Jazz?
On a violin?
Jazz? On a violin? Jonathan Bungard meets Ben Powell, master of the
jazz violin
If you're anything like me, you probably wouldn't think of the
violin as a jazz instrument, s o I've been absolutely fascinated to
talk to Ben Powell this issue. Only 24, this guy has already become
incredibly well known for his playing, and you really should check
out www.ben-powell.com for clips of his playing before you get any
further into this interview! If that hasn't convinced you, I don't
know what will.
I've found myself going back to the clips on his site time and
again in the last month, and when I ask Ben about playing jazz on
the violin, he's pretty straightforward in his answer: “Yes! Easier
said than done! It’s a wonderful journey of discovery and
creativity, and translating so much music and influence to an
instrument that is not directly affiliated with the idiom is always
a rewarding challenge.”
It’s a wonderful journey of discovery and creativity, and translating so much music and influence to an instrument that is not directly affiliated with the idiom is always a rewarding challenge.
Ben is originally from Cheltenham and started playing the violin
when he was 2 as his mother is a Suzuki violin teacher. In fact
music is there on both sides – his dad plays the cello in the City
of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, so it's no surprise he's ended up
in music. I'm interested in how he ended up in jazz though, with
such a strong classical background. “When I was twelve or so, I was
given a Stephane Grappelli CD by my music director at school. I
remember putting it in my CD player at home and being totally
mesmerised by what I was hearing. The freedom, resonance and clarity
of it all was just awesome.
As an aurally trained player (for those
of you who don't know about the Suzuki method and would like to know
more, visit www.britishsuzuki.org.uk) I immediately felt the urge to
‘play’ along and would regularly put headphones on and open my ears
to the music and play along with Stephane. Subconsciously I would
pick up licks, jazz language, nuance, and teach myself swing bowing
techniques. I had no idea of the chords or harmonic framework, it
was literally an aural response to what I was hearing.” “Once bitten
by the jazz bug so to speak, I started discovering the music of
Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington etc… and so the journey
began. I would teach myself the tunes and allow my ear to take it
from there. It was a very honest and personal entry to the music. I
remember being (and still am) captivated by that feeling of ‘swing’,
and how it made me feel inside. It was such a different sensation
than classical music, and I loved the difference between them.”
Ben played with the NYO, leading the second violins in his final
year, and whilst playing for them met Keith Lockhart, conductor of
the Boston Pops Orchestra. Keith heard Ben playing jazz on a course,
and put the Berklee College of Music in Boston in touch with Ben.
Berklee has an international reputation for it's jazz course,so this
was an incredible opportunity. I ask Ben how it felt to move so far
away – it's a bit further than most people go to Uni! “There’s
nowhere else like it in the world, so the distance wasn’t really a
factor! It was funny, because when I arrived in Boston I was meeting
students from everywhere, and England really wasn’t that far away
especially when friends would have left th eir families in
California, equidistant to England in terms of distance from
Boston!” “So... You're studying in Boston”, I begin. “How did you
manage to make it your career?” Ben's answer is disarmingly simple:
“In my last year at Berklee I made my first jazz CD, called Light.
This helped give me a passport, so to speak, to apply for festivals
and concerts etc. Shortly after graduating from Berklee I performed
at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival (home of the Boston Symphony), and
this helped initiate my career as a bandleader and performer.”
Sounds so easy really, doesn't it? There must be more to it though –
Ben is clearly highly talented and a bit of a workaholic, but I ask
whether he has any advice for people interested in getting into
jazz. “Yes. Jazz is an aural based tradition. That’s how it began,
and in many ways that’s how it continues to evolve today. While
there are a billion books and methods out there to help teach
yourself the vocabulary, the best teachers you will ever have are
your ears. I always believe a good teacher can then help relate what
you’re hearing to getting it onto your instrument. But first you
have to hear it. So, listen to jazz! Connect with a sound at first.
You have to want to recreate that sound.
Jazz is becoming so
linguistically based these days that people often forget the GREAT
jazz musicians can always be identified through just two notes, if
not one. Once you like the sound of someone, listen to how they play
simple melodies. Maybe buy the leadsheet to the melody so you can
see what melody they’re interpreting. While jazz is about
improvising, it is equally about interpreting melodies. This in
itself is a form of improvisation. Start playing jazz melodies of
pieces you like, and try imitating what you hear... improvising will
grow from here. The word ‘Improvising’ basically means to ‘improve’
the melody of the piece. In some cases this is impossible (!!!), but
that’s what it means and it should never be forgotten.”
Ben's take
on living in a foreign country is pretty simple as well: “I enjoy it
here, in Boston and the States in general. It’s an enormous country,
which gives it lots of variety. I’ve learnt that there really is no
such thing as an ‘American’. When you start to travel here you
discover culture within culture, it’s such a tapestry of ancestry
and heritage, although much more recent than other countries. I love
that.”
Obviously, given the venues he plays, and the number of other
instruments in some of Ben's groups, he needs to amplify his violin
for many of his gigs. I ask Ben what his setup is. “I discovered DPA
Microphones through a friend, and have been using their instrument
mic thus far. I’m not up to speed on a lot of the new micing systems
out there, but I know I like having something that suspends over the
instrument and is not touching the wood, bridge or any part of the
instrument. Nothing should dampen the resonance of the instrument.”
I wonder whether he's ever been tempted to switch to an electric
violin, and am slightly surprised by his answer, given his earlier
comments about resonance. “Yes, I own a Yamaha Silent Electric
Violin. In fact I’ve had one of those for many many years. It was
very useful at times when I was at Berklee, especially when playing
with louder ensembles or playing outdoor shows. I can easily compete
with drums, guitars etc and can be in control of my own volume.”
I enjoy it here, in Boston and the States in general. It’s an enormous country, which gives it lots of variety. I’ve learnt that there really is no such thing as an ‘American’. When you start to travel here you discover culture within culture, it’s such a tapestry of ancestry and heritage, although much more recent than other countries. I love that I suppose sticking with a traditional violin might make keeping the
classical playing up to scratch easier. That is, assuming he still
plays classical, I suddenly check. “Yes, I maintain my classical
playing. This is most importan t to me. Many people ask the question
about whether it's hard to switch modes, and my answer is 'no, it’s
not difficult' because my concept to approaching the instrument
never changes regardless of the style I’m playing. The components to
good violin playing should never be sacrificed regardless of style,
and I find that in general string players who revert to jazz and
‘alternative styles’ allow themselves to slip a bit in this way. To
master any style is to be able to express yourself with clarity and
sincerity, and for me learning how to do this in jazz using the
techniques I’ve learnt and continue to learn as a classical player
is a wonderful and personal way for me to contribute to the legacy
of the violin in the world of jazz. I enjoy teaching classical
players how to translate their technique on the instrument to
playing jazz. It really isn’t as foreign as people think. While the
language is new, the voice in which you express with is very much
the same.”
Ben finishes our interview with a very open and generous offer:
“Please contact me through my website at
www.ben-powell.com with
further questions! I would be delighted to hear from you.” So if
there's anything else you want to know about jazz violin, have a
look!
Look out for Ben's new album due to be released in April 2012. As
part of the record, there is a special tribute to Stephane Grappelli
on a few tracks with world renowned jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton
and rising guitar star Julian Lage in Trio. One of the songs is
titled Gary, that Stephane Grappelli wrote specifically for Gary
Burton after their recording sessions together in the 70's but never
recorded with Gary himself.
|
